Differing Opinions in DPP over Lin's Thesis Controversy 林智堅論文風暴 民進黨內出現分歧意見

National Taiwan University has revoked the master's degree of Democratic Progressive Party Taoyuan City mayoral candidate Lin Chih-chien after finding he plagiarized his thesis. On Aug. 10 during a DPP central executive committee meeting, President Tsai Ing-wen, who is also the DPP chair, urged the entire party to defend Lin's innocence. 

National Taiwan University has revoked the master's degree of Democratic Progressive Party Taoyuan City mayoral candidate Lin Chih-chien after finding he plagiarized his thesis. On Aug. 10 during a DPP central executive committee meeting, President Tsai Ing-wen, who is also the DPP chair, demanded that the entire party should proclaim Lin's innocence. Meanwhile, the Kuomintang criticized the DPP for trampling on NTU's academic autonomy and pressuring the Ministry of Education to facilitate a possible appeal by Lin to overturn the university's resolution.

Lai Shyh-bao, Legislator (KMT): “She (Tsai Ing-wen) is the president, and she's trampling on the academic autonomy of higher education institutions. Let me ask you, if the president is the one issuing orders, will the education minister dare to disobey? What she's doing is telling what the Ministry of Education to do when Lin Chih-chien files an appeal. She's thinking of ways to save him.”

In response, the DPP argued that if it were able to pressure the ministry, then NTU wouldn't have revoked Lin's degree in the first place.

Lo Chih-cheng, Legislator (DPP): “The DPP and NTU simply have different viewpoints on the thesis examination. If the DPP had a way to pressure the MOE or NTU, then that result yesterday wouldn't have come out. I think we will respect the rights of the implicated person to file a follow-up so-called appeal and even an administrative lawsuit or to clarify the facts.”

There are reports that DPP members have differing opinions on how to respond to the thesis scandal. Those who are candidates in the year-end elections are worried about the impact on their own chances. DPP caucus deputy secretary-general Wang Mei-huei said the party will know what to do in the future precisely because there are different voices within the party and she believes Tsai will make the best decision. Meanwhile, former President Ma Ying-jeou posted on Facebook that he feels very disappointed that those in power refuse to support NTU due to election considerations. As a former president and NTU alumnus, he supports NTU and NTU's decision.

針對民進黨桃園市長參選人林智堅被台大撤銷碩士學位，總統蔡英文在中執會喊話，要全體黨公職相挺林智堅的清白。國民黨團痛批民進黨踐踏台大學術獨立性，施壓教育部，以利林智堅後續申訴有可能翻轉台大決議。

國民黨立委賴士葆說：「她（蔡英文）一個總統的高度，踐踏高教的學術的獨立性，請問你，總統定調，教育部長不聽嗎？她等於對教育部下指導棋，以後林智堅申訴的時候，她想辦法讓林智堅沒事。」

面對國民黨質疑民進黨與台大站在對立面，民進黨否認此說法，強調若民進黨能對教育部施壓，台大就不會做出撤銷林智堅碩士學位的決議。

民進黨立委羅致政表示：「我覺得這不是對幹的議題，它是對一個事實或對一個論文審定的看法不同，如果民進黨有辦法對教育部施壓，或對台大施壓的話，就不會出現昨天那個結果出來，後續的這種所謂的訴願，甚至行政訴訟，我覺得我們都尊重當事人去爭取，或來釐清他的權益的機會。」

傳出林智堅論文風暴在民進黨內意見分歧，部分要參選的小雞擔憂衝擊年底選情，民進黨團副書記長王美惠表示，民進黨內有不同聲音，才知道未來怎麼做，相信蔡英文會做最好的決定。前總統馬英九則在臉書表示，很遺憾看到掌權者，因選舉考量拒絕挺台大，身為前總統及台大校友，他支持台大更挺台大的決定。